Seat Filler: NYC Theater Guide for August 2011

The Advocate’s man on the New York theater scene relights Rent’s candle, turns Shakespeare gay, watches reruns with Judy Gold, revisits the studs of Mamma Mia!, unearths a Glass Menagerie with a happy ending, and more.

BY Brandon Voss

August 11 2011 1:35 PM ET

The PatsyHot off the Broadway-bound Lysistrata Jones, Transport Group has another hit with an odd revival of Barry Conners’s 1925 drawing room comedy about a shy girl’s triumph over her dysfunctional family. The glorious catch is that out performer David Greenspan plays all seven roles with no superfluous theatrics and only the slightest wink. Producers should consider letting Mr. Greenspan reinterpret old dusty classics for all future revivals.The Duke on 42nd Street, through August 13.

JonasGenerally performed as a double feature with The Patsy, David Greenspan’s self-penned solo piece is a poetic and challenging exploration of identity that straddles the line between imagination and reality. Inspired by a salacious backstory he created for the butler he played in the recent Broadway revival of the 1927 play The Royal Family, Greenspan also details “a homosexual milieu” populated by “lewd sailors and pansies.”The Duke on 42nd Street, through August 13.

Mamma Mia!A slow summer season is an opportunity to revisit old favorites, and now’s the best time to take a chance on this super trouper — set to ABBA’s greatest hits — about a bride’s quest to find her dad. David Beach is a standout as gay candidate Harry, and a jaw-dropping Jordan Dean leads the cast of wet-suited cuties. The musical celebrates its 10th anniversary this fall with 10 live events. For info visit mammamianorthamerica.com.Winter Garden Theatre, open-ended.